Trout Fishing on the decline?

When I was a young man I could remember opening of trout season was an adventure. We would get out early and streams were crowded before catch and release before trout unlimited.
Then we had a great idea, lets make trout sacred lets make trout to valuable to waste, lets teach people how not to trout fish. The regulations in southwest WI are a joke. I asked the then warden supervisor about the complexity of the regulations he stated all you need is a regs book and a platte map of your area to determine the stream you are on and the proper regs. HUH?
No longer do we see families fishing together on a large scale for trout. The streams are greatly improved trout numbers are at an all time high but we are regulated to not harvesting fish. What good is a resources that exists for only catch and release fishing. If we are into catch and release why does the season need to be closed at all? If you need a winter dose of trout fishing you need to go deles where.
We are protecting the fishery to death many area ,southwest WI, streams don't produce big fish but handfuls of small fish nature evens things out and those who would fish and harvest a few are regulated to not fishing not teaching there children or grandchildren to fish and if you don't get the young involved soon you will protecting something for no one.
I have trout fished over 40 years I have had years catching 800 fish harvesting none my choice shouldn't be the rule.

I would say the exact opposite. Trout numbers are up and size is down. Maybe it is me just knowing the streams better now then even 5 years ago, but I catch enough trout just have to work for some size. Small trout taste better anyways and are easy to cook.

I am one of those guys that just can't see driving 2+ hours to try and figure out some trout streams. I guess if you have a ton of time on your hands (rules me out) then I could see it. Basically I just wait until I go visit my dad in Pennsylvania and fly and spin fish my old stomping grounds in the Appalachian Mountains. 30 minute drive from his house. Growing up, we either fished trout or smallies in the creeks and rivers. Dad didn't have a boat. If I lived near some good streams I would probably fish em. Hell, most of my fishing is either a local lake very early in the morning before work for a couple of hours or Sundays. I work 6 days a week so I gotta get it when I can.

If streams seem pressured in your area, try doing something different. I have caught most of my big stream trout (17-25 inches) fishing where the stream inters the Wisconsin or Missisippi Rivers. Sometimes wading, or if walking is too far, kayaking down the big river to where it meets the stream and usually wading with the yak attached by line to my waist. Often the water is no longer considered to be a "trout stream". Really big browns dont care what the DNR considers to be trout water. They can have a very high tolerance for warm water. Usually the numbers arent good. Often most of the fish caught are bass, pike and eyes. I have even caught huge carp on lures fishing for trout. Im prolly just as proud of the 34 inch carp that I landed on 6 lb test as the biggest stream trout I ever caught. Another time, just upstream from the Wisco River, I caught a 42 inch musky on a #1 Panther Martin and 6 lb test. But on the days that I catch 1 or 2 trout in that type of fishing, they are invariably big trout.

Seems like fewer and fewer people are willing to get very far from the road or trail these days. I dont even bother to start fishing till Im 1/4 mile from the road. The really good fishing usually starts a half mile from the road. Slipping thru nearly impassable brush usually leads to good fishing too. Yes, fishing isnt as good near the roads and trails as it used to be, but Im catching plenty of 12 to 20 inch trout way back in the hinterlands.

Robollios post brings back memories for me too. Used to put my rod in a backpack and bike down to Oak creek to fish too, when I was 13. Lived at 120th and Howard in Greenfield and would bike all the way to Pewaukee and Denoon Lakes. Im 56 now but still bushwackin and portaging my kayak on the big creeks, lol

I grew up in Milwaukee riding my bike from saint francis to south Milwaukee to fish the oak creek trib. My favorite days were catching the 12 inch trout that would stack in some stretches. I didn't even care about the big salmon most of the time. I always pretended i was in Colorado or something. That was when i was 13. Now im 33 come Tuesday and for me i just cant justify driving to the other side of the state to fish. Unless its time sensitive like a walleye run or icefishing situation like whitefish in green bay. I use to tie my own flies and still have a decent $150 dollar 5 weight from bass pro. Ive grown away from the rivers. Waukesha county alone has so much to offer I dont travel much further except for ducks... unfortunately.

I started out buying flies with a cheap rod-reel kit and then got into tying my own. Started out with a $15 Thompson vise and then upgraded. Startup kits for tying are relatively cheap and materials are not all that expensive but it's easy to spend a ton. I do agree that fly fishing can be it's own rabbit hole. Now I tie my own flies, am building a rod and am looking at making my own braided furled leaders. It's an easy obsession.

I do agree with the regs being overcomplicated but I don't see those changing anytime soon. If anything, I can see more C&R regs on the books.

Totally agree that fly fishing does not have to be that expensive. But it can become a rabbits hole. I rarely tie my own flies; I buy them one, or two at a time whenever I go past Orvis, or Cabelas. But if you have the time you can save serious money tying your own.

I think fishing the streams is a lot more work than most fishermen are willing to put in these days. I grew up in northern WI and remember a lot more trout fishermen than are there now. The closest trout streams to me now are those SW WI. Some rivers get enough pressure for me to pass and find another, while others I rarely encounter anyone fishing.

I find trout numbers excellent and the size very good. The regulations are complicated, but that is all I really remember. I was a little boy when the new style WI trout regulations book came out, but I still smile when I remember the look of confusion and dismay on my father's face. Reading fishing related maps, fishing literature, and regulation booklets are a hobby of mine. I am used to complicated regulations and enjoy looking for new opportunities hidden in the "mess". Of course I realize this makes me the minority.

I think all aquatic resources need to be tightly managed to ensure both numbers of fish and trophy fish within the same individual aquatic resource. However, the availability of fish to harvest for excellent nutrition from the very same resources is also vital.

Trout regulations need to be streamlined and revamped with simple and mostly universal slot limits to completely protect trophy trout which are the best reproducers and pass on the best genetics while allowing anglers to keep a few 10-14" (for instance) eaters. WI and MN reg books could be about 20% of their current thickness and do a better job of improving all our fisheries and make most everyone happier.